General and Operations Managers vs Industrial Production Managers: $106K vs $126K Median Pay

General and Operations Managers vs Industrial Production Managers: what changes?

Consider General and Operations Managers if you want to plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Consider Industrial Production Managers if you would rather plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with cost, quality, and quantity specifications. Both list bachelor's degree; compare training and prior experience separately. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for General and Operations Managers (5 years or more) and Industrial Production Managers (5 years or more).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for General and Operations Managers and Industrial Production Managers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

General and Operations Managers

National median pay (2025): $105,770
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Review financial statements, sales or activity reports, or other performance data to measure productivity or goal achievement or to identify areas needing cost reduction or program improvement.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 285,000

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full General and Operations Managers brief

Industrial Production Managers

National median pay (2025): $126,060
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Set and monitor product standards, examining samples of raw products or directing testing during processing, to ensure finished products are of prescribed quality.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 17,000

Know before you choose

BLS lists 5 years or more of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Industrial Production Managers brief

How the national numbers differ

General and Operations Managers has the edge on annual openings

General and Operations Managers is at 285,000 annual openings, compared with 17,000 annual openings for Industrial Production Managers.

General and Operations Managers has the edge on projected growth

General and Operations Managers is at 5% projected growth, compared with 2.6% projected growth for Industrial Production Managers.

Industrial Production Managers has the edge on median pay

Industrial Production Managers is at $126,060, compared with $105,770 for General and Operations Managers.

77.1/ 100

General and Operations Managers

65.5/ 100

Industrial Production Managers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

General and Operations Managers vs Industrial Production Managers

Dimension	General and Operations Managers	Industrial Production Managers
Median pay (2025)	$105,770	$126,060
Pay percentile	86.2 percentile	91 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	5%	2.6%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	285,000	17,000
2025 employment	3,599,000	252,100
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: 5 years or more
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 4	Job Zone 4
Related work experience	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.	Prior related experience: 5 years or more.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read General and Operations Managers brief Read Industrial Production Managers brief

General and Operations Managers vs Industrial Production Managers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

General and Operations Managers

Industrial Production Managers

How the national numbers differ

General and Operations Managers has the edge on annual openings

General and Operations Managers has the edge on projected growth

Industrial Production Managers has the edge on median pay

General and Operations Managers vs Industrial Production Managers

Try another comparison

General and Operations Managers vs Compensation and Benefits Managers

Industrial Production Managers vs Compensation and Benefits Managers